When I left India I made the bold statement on social media that India was my favorite country I had ever visited. Since making that statement I've been asked several times 'why?'
India is crazy, India is a whole other world, culture shock, Delhi belly, pollution, poverty, blah blah blah. This is what I had heard most predominantly going into India. If I'm truly honest, India was a bit of an afterthought. I knew I wanted to visit Nepal and I knew I wanted to go to Sri Lanka. India just so happened to be in the middle, so it became part of the trip. Despite all the negatives I had heard (and a few positives) I really tried not to listen to them too much so I could form my own opinion.
My first few hours lived up to the negatives I had heard. I got to the hotel and had met a couple girls in the tour (one of which I became really good friends with) who were both a bit apprehensive about being there. The girls hadn't a wealth of travel experience so we of course set out to the streets in our own, me somehow the leader. In our naivety we couldn't walk most than 2 city blocks without being hounded by about four different touts all telling us that some places were closed, that we should go to other places, and wouldn't you know they could take us there for cheap. I got ripped off a couple cents eating some bad street food. When I went to pay for the street food we got surrounded by people all with their hands out begging for some money. One of the girls decided it was best to get in a tuktuk and leave the situation. I didn't think it would make the overall result any better, But didn't want to argue or be 'that guy' so I agreed and we hopped in. We ended up at what I like to call a commission shop. We were told we were going to a market. We got brought to a shop loaded with pushy, yet polite, salesmen who were selling any clothing article or trinket a tourist could want. I hated it. After that we asked the tuktuk driver to bring us to a different market. An actual market. We got brought to a other commission shop. We walked straight out and when the tuktuk driver asked what was wrong we asked simply to go back to the hotel. We had maybe been gone an hour and we were all fed up. I ate back at the hotel before the tour meeting started really unsure how the next 3 weeks would go in this huge country.
In the couple hours I had between eating and the meeting started I had a little chat with myself about being as open as possible to the differences that India is compared to the life I am familiar with back home. It turns out, I didn't even need to think about being open-minded, the differences is what made it so awesome.
The following day the tour left Delhi for Agra which is really when any negative thoughts about India were left behind as well. It was considered amongst the group that Delhi is a bit of a hole, but the rest of India was awesome. After about 3 days I knew India had one me over for good. Even if I were to become violently ill (which, happy to report, I didn't have any stomach issues) India would hold a special place for me. The magnitude of how much I enjoyed it didn't hit me until I was actually in the Cochin airport ready to go to Sri Lanka.
As I was sitting there waiting to board the plane the feeling hit me. The feeling that no other country has ever given me. I want to come back immediately. I hadn't even left the country and I was already yearning to return. I could see myself returning to India time and time again, getting more comfortable with the culture and people, exploring new cities. The scenery, weather, people, food, music, religion, culture, transportation, fashion. It is all so distinct. That is why I loved it. There was so little influence from the western world that the identity of India was so strong that it forces an imprint on you. For some better than others. I couldn't get enough. All 5 senses constantly firing at you with stimuli never before experienced. Smelling Jasmine oil and incense while seeing cows in the street and woman dressed in beautiful sarees, hearing the langue of Hindi being spoken over the rush of tuktuks, and tasting dish after beautiful dish of mouth watering curry. It was so distinctly Indian and it was awesome.
Looking around the airport bookstore I was left so hungry for more of it all. I want to learn about the food, the religions, the customs. I want to listen to more music. I simply want to experience more and more of India. A land so unique unto itself it will imprint on anyone who visits. It imprinted on me profoundly and I can't wait to go back.
India is crazy, India is a whole other world, culture shock, Delhi belly, pollution, poverty, blah blah blah. This is what I had heard most predominantly going into India. If I'm truly honest, India was a bit of an afterthought. I knew I wanted to visit Nepal and I knew I wanted to go to Sri Lanka. India just so happened to be in the middle, so it became part of the trip. Despite all the negatives I had heard (and a few positives) I really tried not to listen to them too much so I could form my own opinion.
My first few hours lived up to the negatives I had heard. I got to the hotel and had met a couple girls in the tour (one of which I became really good friends with) who were both a bit apprehensive about being there. The girls hadn't a wealth of travel experience so we of course set out to the streets in our own, me somehow the leader. In our naivety we couldn't walk most than 2 city blocks without being hounded by about four different touts all telling us that some places were closed, that we should go to other places, and wouldn't you know they could take us there for cheap. I got ripped off a couple cents eating some bad street food. When I went to pay for the street food we got surrounded by people all with their hands out begging for some money. One of the girls decided it was best to get in a tuktuk and leave the situation. I didn't think it would make the overall result any better, But didn't want to argue or be 'that guy' so I agreed and we hopped in. We ended up at what I like to call a commission shop. We were told we were going to a market. We got brought to a shop loaded with pushy, yet polite, salesmen who were selling any clothing article or trinket a tourist could want. I hated it. After that we asked the tuktuk driver to bring us to a different market. An actual market. We got brought to a other commission shop. We walked straight out and when the tuktuk driver asked what was wrong we asked simply to go back to the hotel. We had maybe been gone an hour and we were all fed up. I ate back at the hotel before the tour meeting started really unsure how the next 3 weeks would go in this huge country.
In the couple hours I had between eating and the meeting started I had a little chat with myself about being as open as possible to the differences that India is compared to the life I am familiar with back home. It turns out, I didn't even need to think about being open-minded, the differences is what made it so awesome.
The following day the tour left Delhi for Agra which is really when any negative thoughts about India were left behind as well. It was considered amongst the group that Delhi is a bit of a hole, but the rest of India was awesome. After about 3 days I knew India had one me over for good. Even if I were to become violently ill (which, happy to report, I didn't have any stomach issues) India would hold a special place for me. The magnitude of how much I enjoyed it didn't hit me until I was actually in the Cochin airport ready to go to Sri Lanka.
As I was sitting there waiting to board the plane the feeling hit me. The feeling that no other country has ever given me. I want to come back immediately. I hadn't even left the country and I was already yearning to return. I could see myself returning to India time and time again, getting more comfortable with the culture and people, exploring new cities. The scenery, weather, people, food, music, religion, culture, transportation, fashion. It is all so distinct. That is why I loved it. There was so little influence from the western world that the identity of India was so strong that it forces an imprint on you. For some better than others. I couldn't get enough. All 5 senses constantly firing at you with stimuli never before experienced. Smelling Jasmine oil and incense while seeing cows in the street and woman dressed in beautiful sarees, hearing the langue of Hindi being spoken over the rush of tuktuks, and tasting dish after beautiful dish of mouth watering curry. It was so distinctly Indian and it was awesome.
Looking around the airport bookstore I was left so hungry for more of it all. I want to learn about the food, the religions, the customs. I want to listen to more music. I simply want to experience more and more of India. A land so unique unto itself it will imprint on anyone who visits. It imprinted on me profoundly and I can't wait to go back.
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